


No Good Reason

by convolutedConcussion



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Eventual Communication, F/M, In Which We Are All Dolls, Why Don't These Losers Talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-01
Updated: 2016-07-01
Packaged: 2018-07-19 11:44:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7359925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/convolutedConcussion/pseuds/convolutedConcussion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Okay, so, let’s get this straight for a minute,” she mumbles, holding up a hand.  “You two kissed months ago, but for reasons unknown to rational people you’re just… waging psychological warfare on him instead of talking to him?”</p>
<p>“Well, when you say it like that it sounds stupid,” she frowns.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Nicole scoffs sarcastically.  “Yeah, that’s why it sounds stupid.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Good Reason

It’s not exactly clear why Dolls thought summer would be any easier around Wynonna Earp.  It’s not even that warm—it’s downright _pleasant_.  The problem is that the crop tops make a reappearance.  It starts in spring, really, as soon as it’s no longer _freezing_ outside.  He spends a lot of time reminding himself he’s not some fucking teenager.  He also spends a lot of time working out.  Outside.  Away from her.  As far from her as possible.

They _never_ talked about the kiss.

At first, the reasons are obvious.  They’re breaking him out, they’re trying to figure out what’s going on with Waverly, they’re slipping right under Black Badge’s nose.  Then Lucado loses her head—and some other things—and he gets his job back.  There was disaster after disaster, and it became easier to just pretend it had never happened.

It’s not quite so easy to _forget_ the kiss, but that’s another matter entirely, isn’t it?

Maybe Wynonna notices—hell, sometimes he catches the curl of her lips as she’s turning away, maybe she’s doing it on _purpose_.  He reasons that if he doesn’t react visibly to her if she _is_ goading him, maybe she’ll get bored and stop.  This was a _massive_ oversight—he should know her better than this by now.

\--

Nicole’s actually the first person to bring it up.  Actually, it comes as something of a surprise, she’d been having so much fun she’d forgotten other people could see her.  ( _That’s_ worrying but she pushes it away for later.)  It’s because she opted for the lace crop today—it really wasn’t work-appropriate.  She corners Wynonna next to the fridge, brow furrowed and puppy-dog eyes confused.

“Why are you wearing next to nothing?” she demands quietly.

“Um, well,” she looks around.  Officer Dewey is loitering.  She glowers.  “Come here,” she hisses, grabbing Nicole’s elbow and dragging her into an interrogation room.  “Dolls and I kinda kissed.”

“What?  When?”

“At Bobo’s party?” she winces.

“That doesn’t explain the outfits,” Nicole replies.

Shrugging, Wynonna explains, “He’s sorta bein’ a pussy.  I think he’s pretending it never happened.”

“Okay, so, let’s get this straight for a minute,” she mumbles, holding up a hand.  “You two kissed months ago, but for reasons unknown to rational people you’re just… waging psychological warfare on him instead of talking to him?”

“Well, when you say it like _that_ it sounds stupid,” she frowns.

“Yeah,” Nicole scoffs sarcastically.  “Yeah, that’s why it sounds stupid.”

\--

Okay, this is just getting ridiculous.

“Hey, boss!” pipes Wynonna, perched on top of his desk.

“You’re here before me,” he observes breezily.  She crosses her legs and crosses her arms over what he’s pretty sure is just glorified lingerie, eyebrow flicking up.  “Why are you here before me?”

“Am I not allowed to show up for work on time?” she asks, tone low and teasing.

_Not like that_ , he thinks vehemently.  “You _can_ but it doesn’t mean it’s not _weird_ ,” he replies.

“I should be offended,” she says thoughtfully.

“So, you’re gonna fight in that?” he asks, switching gears.  “It just seems impractical.”

“It’s taped on,” she says dryly.  “So, are you gonna keep staring at me like I’m an alien or are we gonna get to work?”

This is gonna be _such_ a long day.  He sighs and waves her towards the door.  Smirking like she’s won something, she hops down and follows him out.  Her shoulder bumps against his and feels like he’s been shocked.  Again, long day.

\--

“They were out of plain donuts,” Wynonna informs him mournfully, holding out tray of coffee and box of donuts out like it’s her ticket into the conference room.

“I ate _one_ plain donut,” he groans.  “One, because that was all you left.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she huffs, leaning over the table next to him to open the box and revealing an even split between old fashioned and jelly-filled donuts.  The position puts her close to him and she grins almost into his face.  “I was kidding anyway.  You _think_ I don’t pay attention.”

“I know you pay attention,” he mutters, some weird mix of almost affectionate and irritable.   When she hands him his cup, he takes a sip and says, “The coffee’s right.”

As if it were a surprise.

Looking up at the ceiling, she sighs, “We’ve been together for like eight months, you’d think you’d stop being so shocked.”

“Together?” he asks, giving her a look she can’t decipher.

“Partners, working together,” she mumbles hurriedly, knocking her shoulder against his.

“Uh-huh.”

\--

When Nicole had asked, altogether too casually, if he was coming to dinner that night, it had taken him nearly a full minute to respond.  “C’mon,” she’d coaxed, munching happily on popcorn.  “We’re just gonna watch shitty movies and eat bad pizza.  You need to get out more.”

He’d wondered how a night in with three women he _works with_ is considered “getting out,” but didn’t vocalize that thought.  Instead, he’d agreed.  Which is how he got here, in front of the homestead, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.  He’s not really sure _how_ , but he’s positive this is some kind of trap.  After a few minutes of trying to decide whether or not he’s _really_ prepared to deal with this reality, Dolls shoves himself out of the SUV and hunches his way up to the front door.  He knocks, uncomfortable, and Waverly answers the door.

“Oh!  I thought you were the pizza!” she laughs, waving him in.

“Sorry to disappoint,” he responds with a quick smile.

She may say something else, but Wynonna is sorta walking down the hall in a towel, calling, “Is the pizza here alread—hey, boss.”  Hair dripping, she pauses for a long time before looking down and grimacing.  “I’m, uh—I’m gonna go put on some clothes,” she mumbles quickly.

From the doorway, Nicole snorts.

\--

Fully dressed and blushing furiously, Wynonna sheepishly makes her way back into the living room.  Nicole and Waverly are arguing good-naturedly over DVDs on the couch, but Dolls is nowhere to be found.  She catches Nicole’s eye and she mouths _kitchen_.  Head bobbing absently, she slinks quietly into the kitchen, where Dolls is bent over searching in the fridge.  Because she’s only human, she takes a moment before clearing her throat gently.

“Sorry ‘bout the show,” she mumbles.  “I thought you were pizza—I’m starved.”

He rights himself slowly, rubbing the back of his neck.  “Yeah, seems like I disappointed everyone in that respect,” he mutters.  “Waverly sent me for beer,” he explains, waving awkwardly at the fridge.

“Freezer,” she says.

“Oh.”

What follows is seriously one of the more uncomfortable silences she’s ever experienced—not the _most_ , but definitely Top 5.  He fishes four beers out of the freezer.

“Are you staying?” she asks, and the way he pauses makes her blurt, “You can stay!  I just—I didn’t know.”

“Nicole invited me,” he replies, half-questioning.

_That sneaky_ …  She doesn’t finish the thought, instead stepping closer than necessary to snatch a bottle from him.  He’s looking at her, and it’s not a Moment but it _could be_ and she’s willing it to be—they’re so close she could just crane up and kiss him and she _wants_ to and the air feels suddenly very thick—

The knock at the door makes them both jump.

“That must be the pizza,” he murmurs.

\--

Once they’re fed, they settle in for the movie, Waverly and Nicole squeezed on a chair barely big enough to hold the two of them comfortably, leaving Dolls sitting uncomfortably on one end of the couch.  Wynonna collapses into it at the other end and dumps her feet into his lap, grinning when he tosses her a look purely out of form.  He doesn’t dislodge her even though every rational part of him is telling him he needs to.  Before hitting play, he catches Nicole looking at him curiously.  There’s something in her eyes that’s almost knowing.

Halfway through Raleigh Beckett’s tragic backstory, Wynonna shifts, tucking her toes under his thigh and dragging the afghan off the back of the couch to drape over her knees.  By the time Mako Mori is introduced, she’s standing for another beer.  She comes back with two, pressing the second into his hands.  He feels her sit next to him, far enough away not to touch until she brings her feet up to sit cross-legged, knee against his thigh.

She doesn’t move again except to snag another slice of pizza off the coffee table.  He realizes he’s in too deep when he’s thinking how _endearing_ it is when she struggles to close the box.

\--

It’s a little bit of a shock when his fingers brush lightly against her knee.  She looks over quickly but his eyes are on the TV.  Narrowing her eyes, she almost wills him to look at her.  He doesn’t, so she turns back to the movie.  After a few moments, she lets her own fingers skim over the back of his hand, lips twisting when he flips it under her touch.  _Now_ she feels his gaze on her, and she debates just staring straight ahead.

When she does turn her attention to him, he’s already focused on Newt drifting with a kaiju brain.

Chewing the inside of her cheek, she traces the lines of his palm with her nail through the rest of the movie.  It’s a damn good thing she’s _seen_ this one before because she’s hyperaware of his breathing and the way he’s holding himself carefully still.  She’s not too affected, though, and her breath still catches when Chuck Hansen says goodbye to Max.

Dolls leans close to breathe incredulously, “Are you about to cry?”

“Go to hell,” she mumbles thickly.

His fingers twine with hers, and he squeezes her hand gently.

She _doesn’t_ cry, but Nicole sure does when Stacker says, “We can clear a path, for the lady.”

She hears her sister coo softly.

The movie ends, and they’re still holding hands.  There’s a bloated silence, the only noise the end credits.  Waverly’s the first to stand, stacking the pizza boxes and mumbling about putting them away.  Nicole shoots up after her, offering to help with a quick pointed look at Wynonna.  Left alone, neither she nor Dolls says anything for a while.

Then he says, “I should get going.”

\--

The entire drive back to his place, the entire night, and the better part of the following morning are spent on one simple thought:  He should not have touched her.  He’s convinced he can still feel the way she’d stroked gently over his palm.  His whole body _aches_ to touch her more.  He shouldn’t even have gone to dinner.  This whole thing was just one bad idea after another.  He shoots off a quick report, only half-focused on the task at hand, just as his office door is pushed open.  It’s so quick he almost misses it, but Wynonna flicks the lock when she shuts it behind her.

“Morning,” she sings, low and slow.

He’s dreading looking up but does when she sets a cup next to his laptop, and she’s wearing a soft-looking T-shirt.  “Thanks,” he grunts, turning back to the task at hand.  She seems to be waiting for something, hip resting casually against his desk, but he keeps working until the way she’s staring at him starts to almost _burn_.  Finally, once it’s unbearable, he closes the laptop and looks up.  “Can I help you?”

“Yeah,” she responds, rubbing the back of her neck.  There’s a pause and she puffs out a quick, “Oh, I am not good at this,” before grimacing at him.  “So, I get the feeling that _maybe_ you were kinda into me?  Like, I was thinking _maybe_ it’s time for a talk?”

He tries to keep his face blank but something of the surprise he feels must show because she crosses her arms and raises her eyebrows expectantly.  “Wynonna,” he murmurs on a long exhale.  He’s about to say _something_ a lot like a lie—it didn’t mean anything, that it was a mistake, that he _doesn’t_ want to kiss her again—but her face starts to crumble, and there’s a pang at that and all he can do is whisper, “It would be such a bad idea.”

\--

Hope blooming in her chest, she grins, “Babe, I’m the _queen_ of bad ideas.”

“Yeah,” he replies, small smile growing.  “Yeah, I’ve noticed.”

“So, just, just for funsies—what’s the _worst_ that could happen if we did this, assuming we _both_ really wanna do this?” she presses earnestly.

“Purgatory is nuked into oblivion,” he says blandly.

Scowling, she counters, “Listen, if Purgatory is nuked it’s not gonna be because I’m too overcome by your hotness to shoot a Revenant, okay?  Let’s just get that straight.”  When he doesn’t answer, she tilts her head and continues, “I’ll call it, then—there’s a horrible messy break up, or you have to disappear again, or I die, or you do.”  She’s ticking off the possibilities on her fingers.  “I’m not really seeing them as good reasons not to _try_.”

In his lap, his hands clench into fists for just a moment before he pushes to his feet.  “This can _only_ end in disaster,” he murmurs, close enough for his breath to ghost over her lips suddenly.

“My entire _life_ is a disaster, but this?” she laughs, shaking her head.  She gives him time to pull away, slowly sliding her hand over his shoulder, around the back of his neck to bring their lips very close, and when he goes with her she kisses him.  It’s soft and sends a thrill stuttering through her chest and it’s _good_ and chaste and quick.  It breaks and she whispers, “Yep, still awesome.”

His fingers tangle into her hair and he pulls her back in.

**Author's Note:**

> Got 2 prompts to work on and I did this instead whaaaat. Thank you so much for reading and don't forget to swing by my [Tumblr](http://johnisntevendead.tumblr.com) where I never get sick of talking about this show.


End file.
